Draft rigging



J. H. LINK DRAFT RIGGING fzwerz/tar Jahrz Hbz'rzk Filed Feb. 5, 1932 Al 2: 5 C- J I I l l l II July 25, 1933.

Figure 1. Figure Figure '1. And Figure vertical, sectional View,

Patented July 25, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE t 5 JOHN H. LINK, .OF MERION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO W. H. MINER, INCL, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DRAFT RIGGING Application filed February 5, 1932. Serial No. 591,062.

This invention relates to improvements in draft riggings especially designed for use in connection with mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging for mine cars, which rigging is of simple design and comprises few parts.

i A further object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging ofthe character set forth a minimum number of shockabsorbing-devices: are employed through the use of friction buffers located at opposite sides of the ends of the car, the friction means of the buffers'being also actuated in draft by means of a coupler connection withtheadjacent car. 7

A still further obj-ectof the invention is to provide a combined means for absorbing both buffing and draft shocks, especially designed for use in connection with mine cars having a one-piece casting underframestructure.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

- In the drawing, forming-a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a part horizontal, sectional View through the underframe structure and a part top plan view of one end portion of a mine car, illustrating my .improvenients in connection therewith. Figure 9/ is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a partly broken, end elevational View locking from the left in 4 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view at one side of the car, correspondingsubstantially to the line 1- 1 of 5 is a longitudinal, corresponding substantially to the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

' In said drawing, A designates generally one end of a mine car. As shown, the underinvention is to provide a draft rigging for nnne cars whereinframe structure of the car, which is indiing, the upper wall 10 of which forms the floor member of the car. As shown in Figures 1,

cated by B, is in the form of a one-piece cast- 2, and 5, the central portion of the floor member 10 is depressed, as indicated at 11, thereby disposing the major portion of the floor below the floor sections which extend along the sides and opposite ends of the car. The casting is provided with vertical flanges or ribs 1212 at opposite ends of the car, extending transversely of the same. The flanges 12-12 have short angular sections 1313, which extend along the sides of the car. A post 14 is secured to each flange 1-2 at opposite sides of the car. As will be understood, the flanges 1212 also serve as securing means for the vertical wallsof the car body.

At opposite sides of the car, the underframe'casting B has longitudinally extending,spaced webs 15 and 16, which form longitudinal sill members. The flanges 1616,

which are disposed innermost, have trans- 17-47 laterally inwardverse wall sections ly extending therefrom, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The wall sections 1717 form transverse abutment members serving as inner stops for the shock absorbing devices hereinafter more fully described. At each end, the car underframe B is provided with a I transverse'end wall or sill member 18, which connects the outer ends of the webs 15 and 16 at opposite sides of the car. tween the ends, the end wall 18 is provided with an elongated opening 19 adapted to accommodate the coupler book 20. The hook 20 is of the usual form employed in connection with mine cars, a link'being used between the hooks 20 of two adjacent cars in order to couple the same. site webs 16'-16,' the end wall 18 is provided with a guide opening reinforced by guide walls 2121. The guidewayformed by the Inwardly of the oppo- Midway bewalls 2121 is preferably of hexagonal sec- I A friction shell 23, which is of hexagonal cross section so as to lit the corresponding guideway formed by the guide walls 21-21, is slidably mounted within said guideway. The shell 23 is closed at the outer end by a transverse wall 2st, which extends outwardly beyond the opposite sides of the shellQS and is reinforced by top and bottom spaced webs 2525. The transverse end wall 2 lof each shell 523 forms a buffing head adapted to engage the buffing head at the corresponding side of the adjacent car. Each friction casing 23 is connected to the underfralne structure B by means of a pair of vertically disposed bolts 2626 extending through vertically aligned, longitudinally extending slots 2727 in the webs 2525 of the friction shell and thrmigh aligned openings provided in the flanges 22-22 at the corresponding side of the underframe structure of the car. As will be evident, the slot and bolt connections between the underframe structure 13 and the friction shells restrict the outward movement of the friction shells Q3-23. The friction shells 23 23 form part of the friction buffing mechanism, which mechanism is of well-known type, including wedge friction means cooperating with the friction shell and having its movement inwardly ofthe shell resisted by spring means. .The wedge member of each friction means is indicated by 28 and the cooperating friction shoes by 29-29. A clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the friction means comprising the wedge 28 and the shoes 2929 cooperate with the open inner end of each friction. shell 23. r

A transversely arranged pressure transmitting beam 30 is located at each end of the car, each beam having the opposite end sections thereof bearing on the inner stop members 1717 respectively. The outer side of the beam 30 engages the wedge members 28-28 of the two friction shock absorbing mechanisms at the corresponding end of the car. The coupler hook 20, hereinbefore referred to, is forked at the inner end, as indicated at 3131.. said forked portion embracing the beam 30 and being connected to the sameby a pivot pin 32 extending through said beam midway between the ends thereof. As most clearly shown in Figure l, the end portions of the beam 30 are wider vertically than the central portion thereof, thereby providing ample bearing surfaces for engage- .ment with the stop members 17-17 and the wedges 2828. The beam 30 is supported at opposite ends by detachable plates 3-333 secured by any suitable means to thebottom wall of the under-frame casting B, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The operation of my improved draft rigging for mine cars is as follows: Upon a bufiing force being transmitted to the buffing members 2424 of the friction casings 23* 23, the casings will be forced to slide inwardly of the car, thereby compressing the friction mechanism against the beam 30 which is held in fixed position by the inner stops 17-17. Compression of the friction shock absorbing mechanisms in buff is limited by engagement of the inner ends of the friction shells with the transverse beam member 30. Outward movement of the friction shells 28-23 is limited by the bolts 2626' engaging the inner end walls of the slots 27-27. During a draft action, the coupler hook 20 will be pulled outwardly, thereby pulling the beam 30 outwardly also and forcing the fric tion means inwardly of the friction shells 23-23. The compression of the friction shock absorbing mechanisms in draft is limited by engagement of the forward side of the beam 30 with the inner ends of the friction shells 23 -23 and the inner ends of the walls 21-21 of the gnideways.

I have herein shown and described what T now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is mere- .ly illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of theclaims appended hereto.

I claim: I

1. In a draft rigging for cars, the combi nation with a pair of fixed sleevelike guidesat the end of the car; of friction shock absorbing mechanisms at opposite sides of the end of the car, each shock absorbing mechanism including a fraction shell and cooperating friction elements, each of said shells being slidable in one of said sleevelike guides and having a buffing head at the outer end thereof projecting outwardly of the car; a transverse pressure transmitting beam for compressing said shock absorbing mechanisms in draft, said. beam having its draft movement limited by engagement with the inner ends of said sleevelike guides; and coupler means connected to said beam intermediate the ends thereof.

2. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with the underframe structure of the car; of fixed cylindrical guide sleeves on said underframe at opposite sides of the end. of

the car; inner stop members at opposite sides of the same end of the car on said underframe structure; a transverse beam at each end of the car movable lengthwise of the car, said beam having the opposite end portions thereof engageable with the inner ends of said sleeves to limit outward movement of said beam, and said. beam being engageable with said inner stop members to limit inward movement of same beam; a shock absorbing mechanism at each side'of each end of the car, each shock absorbing mechanism including a friction shell and cooperating friction means, said shell being slidable in the corresponding guide sleeve, said shell being closed at the outer end by a transverse wall and normally projecting outwardly beyond the end of the car to directly receive buffing shocks, the friction means being located at the inner end portion of the shell and hearing 011 the corresponding end portion of the beam at the same end of the car; and a coupler member connected to said beam between the ends thereof.

8. In a draft rigging for cars, the combi-' nation with an underframe structure having sleevelike guides at opposite sides of the end of the car and outwardly projecting top and bottom flanges forwardly of said guides; of inner stop members disposed inwardly of each guide; a plurality of friction shells, each shell closed at the outer end, thereby providing an end wall presenting a bufling surface, each shell having laterally outwardly projecting top and bottom flanges rearwardly of the buffing face, one of said shells being slidable within each guide and having the flanges thereof guided between the top and bottom flanges of the under-frame structure; friction means at the inner end of each shell having frictional engagement therewith; a transversely disposed member having the opposite end sections thereof interposed between the friction means of said shells and said inner stops; means extending through said flanges of the undcrframe and shells for limiting outward movement of the shells and pairs of guide slots at presenting a buifing surface, each shell also having outwardly projecting opposite sides thereof rearwardly of the end Wall and formed integral with said Wall, one

of said shells being slidable within each guide; limiting stop pins at opposite sides of each shell extending through the flanges thereof and working in the corresponding pair of slots of the flanges of the underframe structure for restricting outward movement of each shell; friction means at the inner end of each shell having frictional engagement therewith; a transversely disposed member having the opposite end sections thereof in; terposed between the friction means of said shells and said inner stops; and coupler means connected to said transverse member between the ends thereof.

JOHN H. LINK.

side flanges at 

